A drop in the number of conveyancers practising in England and Wales highlights the need to make the profession “more sustainable and respected”, a law firm says.
The latest Law Society figures reveal the number of working conveyancers fell by 15% from just over 13,000 in September 2021 to 11,140 in January 2025.
RG Law says as firms face growing workloads, increasing regulation and pressure to complete transactions faster and at a lower cost, better support needs to be given to upcoming conveyancers.
Compliance, risk management and regulatory work takes an estimated 30% to 40% more time than a decade ago, the firm said, with clients also expecting more frequent updates, quicker transactions and greater accessibility.
Karen Marsh, sales and marketing director at RG Law, said: “Conveyancing has increasingly been treated as a process that clients and estate agents simply have to go through, with little appreciation for the work required to progress a transaction safely to completion.
“Conveyancers are under constant pressure from multiple directions. Clients want to move, estate agents are pushing for exchange and completion dates, and referrers often have their own expectations. However, legal work cannot be rushed without increasing risk.
“Many talented conveyancers feel overwhelmed by growing workloads, increasing compliance requirements and unrealistic expectations. Some are leaving the profession, while others are moving into auditing, training, compliance or consultancy roles.”
The firm suggests support for professionals such as workload monitoring, training, wellbeing initiatives, professional development and technology that reduces unnecessary administration, such as customer-service support and online tracking systems.
Marsh continued: “Estate agents and conveyancers need to deliver a consistent message from the outset. When clients understand the likely timescale and the factors that can affect it, they have greater confidence in the process.
“I often use the analogy of taking a car for an MOT. If the garage discovers that the tyres are bald, most people will not expect the garage to replace them for free. The issue could not have been identified until the vehicle was inspected.
“Clients are not paying for problems to be created; they are paying for problems to be identified, managed and resolved so they can make an informed decision about one of the largest financial commitments of their lives.”
RG Law says an industry focused on price and volume risks “undermining professional pride and making it harder to retain experienced conveyancers”. Some professionals are moving into non-client-facing roles, while others are becoming self-employed consultants to gain greater flexibility.
The firm believes others must offer competitive salaries, meaningful career progression and recognition for high performance to retain existing expertise and attract new talent.
